Block actuator for a revolver-type gun



1958 c. H. STEVENS 2,818,784

BLOCK ACTUATOR FOR- A REVOLVER-TYPE GUN Filed June 19, 1953 3 SheetsSheet 1 (xx-=1 LOLO INVENTOR.

Ehurlaa H- Steven-L5 Jan. 7, 1958 c. H. STEVQENS ,8

BLOCK ACTUATOR FOR A REVOLVER-TYPE GUN Filed June 19, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Iii 044 0 as 2/ C) G 28 11!" S34 |24 6 4 J22 X H6 H4 78 INVENTOR. 1

Ehuflaa H- Sim/Ens ATTOENE Y5 Patented Jan. 7, 1958 BLOCK Ac'rUAron son A REVOLVER-TYPE GUN Charles H. Stevens, Springfield, Mass, assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application June 19, 1953, Serial No. 362,977

3 Claims. (Cl. 88-155) (Granted under Titie 35, U. S. Code (1852), see. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.

My invention relates to an electrically fired revolvertype automatic weapon and more particularly to the actuator for rotating the cartridge drum of such a weapon.

The weapon ordinarily comprises a receiver with a recoil unit slidable therein including a barrel and a rotatable cartridge drum having peripherally spaced stub shafts with the axes thereof intersecting the centers of the cartridge chambers of the drum. An actuator for rotating the drum is biased to a battery position and a chamber of the drum is retained in the firing position thereof by engagement of the corresponding roller with a straight groove of the actuator. The actuator is slidable on the receiver in an indexing cycle including strokes from and to the battery position responsive to discharge of a cartridge in the firing position of the drum. A pair of outlet and inlet grooves of substantially equal curvature are provided on the actuator to guide a pair of the rollers out of and into the straight groove as the actuator moves in the indexing cycle to bring the succeeding chamber with a live cartridge therein to the firing position. A switch tongue is pivoted on the actuator to respectively connect the curved grooves to the firing position groove and to allow the rollers to pass through the actuator during the indexing cycle. The tongue is rotated by a separate earn secured to the recoil member by means of a switch pin which is secured to the tongue to project through an arcuate slot in the actuator and to engage a guide surface of the cam.

In the weapon described, the strain of accelerating and decelerating rotation of the drum falls on the pivot pin and the switch pin of the tongue causing them to break and the weapon to fail. Also, the means for securing the cam to the recoil member is necessarily of light construction and frequently fails due to stresses from rotation of the drum.

It is an object of my invention therefor to provide a simple, substantial and efiicient means for rotating the drum of such a weapon.

Another object of my invention is to provide an integral actuator means for rotating the drum of such a weapon.

An additional object of my invention is to provide a device for rotating the drum of such a weapon including a pair of spring-biased blocks for transmitting rotational stresses from the drum.

Other aims and objects of my invention will appear in the subsequent description thereof.

In carrying out my invention, the rollers of successive cartridge chambers are respectively guided out of and into the straight groove of the actuator as the drum is rotated by a pair of curved grooves and a pair of springbiased outlet and inlet blocks. The blocks may slide in guides or be pivotally mounted on the actuator to move to and from normal positions for engagement with the index rollers of the drum.

For a better understanding of my invention reference is directed to the following drawing in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an electrically fired revolver-type automatic weapon including an embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a partly cutaway elevation view of the weapon;

Fig. 3 is a view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view along the line 44 of Fig. 2 showing one variation of my invention;

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the variation of my invention shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 showing a second variation of my invention; and

7 is an exploded view of the variation shown in As shown in the drawing a weapon 12 is provided with a receiver 14 including sides 16 and end 18 substantially perpendicular to a flat bottom 20. Pairs of mounting trunnions 22 and 24 are perpendicularly secured to sides 16.

A recoil unit slidable on receiver 14 includes a barrel 26 with a bore axis 27 secured to a cradle 28. Barrel 26 is slidably disposed in a support 30 of receiver 14 and cradle 28 includes feet 32 slidable in grooves 34 of receiver 14. A cartridge drum 36 including chambers 38 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 40 journaled at 42 and 44 in cradle 28 to convey chambers 38 to positions corresponding thereto including a position nearest the recoil unit called the six oclock position of the chambers.

Weapon 12 is shown in battery in Fig. 1 with chamber 38 in the six oclock position inclosing a cartridge 46. In the six oclock position, chamber 38 is in axial alignment with the barrel 26 for discharge of cartridge 46 therethrough.

Drum 36 is provided with radial stub shafts 48 projecting from the surface thereof and intersecting the axes of chambers 38. Index rollers 50 are rotatably disposed on shafts 48.

Barrel 26 and receiver 14 respectively include passages 52 and 54 communicating between the bore of barrel 26 and a tube 56 slidably disposed between receiver 14 and a cylinder 58 of cradle 28. Cylinder 58 encloses a piston 60 secured to a plunger 62 projecting rearwardly from cylinder 58.

An actuator 64 slidably disposed on receiver 14, by means of projections 66 extending into channels 68 parallel to axis 27 is biased to a battery position in engagement with plunger 62 by buffer springs 70 engaging end 18.

Actuator 64 is provided with a straight groove 72 parallel to channels 68 for engaging the firing position roller 50 of drum 36 to retain the chamber 38 corresponding thereto in alignment with barrel 26 in the battery position of actuator 64. A pair of equally curved grooves 74 and 76 for engaging rollers 50 oppositely extend from straight groove 72 to form a pair of lands 78 and 80 on a base 82 of actuator 64 including an interrupted surface 84 concentric with drum 36. Land 78 includes an aperture 86 forming an inverted T-slot with a portion of straight groove 72.

Outlet and inlet blocks 88 and 90 are slidably disposed in corresponding sockets 92 in base 82 and are respectively biased to a normal position with surfaces 94 and 96 in engagement with land 84 by springs 98 disposed between the blocks and the bottoms of sockets 92. Curved cam surfaces 100 and 102 of blocks 88 and 90 in the normal positions thereof respectively connect curved grooves 74 and 76 and straight groove 72.

Weapon 12 is electrically fired and gases from the discharge of a cartridge in the firing position chamber escape from barrel 26 through passages 52 and 54 and, tube 56 to'forc'e piston 60, plunger 62, and consequently actuator 6-4, -rearwardly.

As actuator 64 slides against buffer springs 70 in the rearward stroke of a cycle to index drum 36 curved surface 1'00 of [block '88 engages the roller .50 adjacent the discharged chamber and roller 50 engages a ramp surface 104 to depress block "9'0 into the corres ondin ocket 92. As actuator 64 continues re rward-1 the discharged chamber roller 50 engages curved groove 74 and "is accelerated away from actuator "to rotate drum 36. When the dischar ed 'ro'lle'r50 passes, block 90 rises to the normal position thereof.

As the discharged chamber roller leaves actuator, rotation "of drum 36 carries the "sue'ceedin' roller into consecutive engagement with inlet f'gro'ove 76, curved surface "592 and straight groove 72 to bring the corresponding chamber with a leaded cartridge to fthe firing position. Blocks '88 and '90 are respectively provided "with ramps 107 and 366 for inlet engagement with the succeeding roller t) to'depressthe blocks and allow thefrolle'rto pass the'reover.

in the variation of my invention shown in Fig. 7, an aperture 188 extends into land 78 and base 82 to form an inverted T-slot with a portion of straightg'roove 72.

Outlet and, inlet blocks 1'10 and 112 are pivoted to 'actuator 64st 114 and 116, respie'ctively. Springs 11 8 and 120 are provided for biasing the blocks to normal 'positions with surfaces 122 -and 124 respectively tn-enga ement .With actuator 64. Block Hi) includes a curved surface 126 for connecting straight groove 72 'to outlet groove 74 and for guiding roller-" therebetween "as "actuator64 moves in the rearward'stroke. Aram'p surface 128 is provided on block 112 ifo'rfeii'gagen'ient 'Wi'th'rollers 551 in the rearward "stroke of fa'ctuat'o'ito allow the block to be depressed into aperture 108 as rollers '50 progress to groove 74. V

inlet block 112 includes curved surface 130 'fdrgiiiding rollers between inlet groove 716and stra'i'glit groove 72. Ramp surfaces 132'a'nd134arepfovided on blocks 110 and 112 respectively for engagement with rollers '50 to alto-w the blocks to b'esii'cce'ssively depressed iiifo aperture 108 as rollers50 are rotated between 'iiilet.'groove 76am straight gr'o'o'v'e 7 2. I

' Surfaces '94, 96 and 122, 12 i ofblocks sane and 110, 1 12 respectively eng ge surfaces of apertures 86an'd {10's in the normal positions or the breaks to directly t'r'a'iiinit the "thrust rrsm rollers 5a to actuator 64in "the nsr'mai positions of the blocks. I

Although spin-neuter mendment of thei'n'ventio'n has been described detaii lierein, itis evident that many variations may be devised within,'the spirit and scope thereof and "the following claims are intended to include such variations.

I-claim: v

l. A revolver-type Weapon comprising a receiver drum including'cartridge chambers and corresp'o'n inde'x 'rdile'rs, and-an actuatorbias'ed toa battery p'os and disposed "on said receiver fo'r 's'lidable'o'peration in rearward and forward strokes fro'rnan'd to said battery osit-ten including outlet and inlet u ers respectivel 1pmvided with oppositely disposed bearing surfaces, said "actuator being pr'dvid'cd with communicating "grooves for engaging said rollers including a straight groove for battery position retention of saidchambers in a fi'rin'gip'osition, a pair tit grooves of subsitantia'lly equal curvature "ding oppositely frc'm said straight 'groove, and a rot sockets in the bottom saidgrodves, said blocks slidably disposed in-said scold-its and spring-biased to a normal position therein with a eerre'sp'ending pair of said bearing surfaces respectively connecting roller engagement surfaces of saidcurvedzgrooves andsaid-straight groove to control rotation of said cham-b'ers 'to s'aid =battery position and withthe. remaining Pair. of said bearing surfaces engaging said actuator to directly transmit forces from -said "rollers thereto, said outlet block including 'a ramped surface and said inlet block including a pair of ramped surfaces for respective engagement with said rollers to slide said inlet block out of said normal position during said rearward stroke and consecutively to slide said outlet and inlet blocks out of said normal .position during said forward stroke.

2. A revolver-type weapon comprising a receiver, a barrel, la drum including cartridge chambers and corresponding index rollers rotatably disposed to convey said chambers to a firing position thereof in axial alignment with said barrel, an actuator biased to a battery position and disposed on said receiver-for slidable operation in rearward and forward strokes from and to said battery .position, and outlet and inlet blocks axially pivoted and respectively biased to normal positions on said actuator, said actuator bein'gprovided withcommunicating grooves for engaging said-rollers including a straight groove for retainingon'e of isaid' cham'bers in said firing position when said actuator is in said battery position, and a :pair of grooves substantially equally Curved from said straight groove, said inlet and outlet blocks having opposing surfaces for simultaneous engagement with said actuator'a'nd said rollers todirectly transmit forces therebetween, said roller engagement surfaces being constructed forres'pectively connecting engagement surfaces of said curved grooves and 'saidstraight groove in said normal positions to control rotation of saidchambers to said'firing position, said blocks including ramped surfaces for engagement with said rollersiduring said rearward and forward strokes for respective displacement 'from said normal positions.

3. A revolver-type weapon comprising a receiver, a drum including cartridge chambers and corresponding index rollers, an actuator biased to a battery position and disposed on said receiver for slidable operation in rearward and forward strokes from and to. said battery-position, and outlet and inlet blocks axially piv'oted on-said actuator and respectively biased to normal positions, said actuator being provided with communicating grooves for engaging said rollers including .a straight-groove for 'battery position retention of said-chambers in a fir'ing position, and a pair of groovessubs'tantially equally curved from said straight groove, said inlet and outlet blocks including opposing surfaces for simultaneous engagement with said actuator and said rollers to directly transmit forces therebetween insaid normal positions, said roller engagement surfaces being constructed respectively to connect the engagement surfaces of said curved'gro'oves and said straight groove in said nonnalipositions to control rotation of one of said chambers to said firing position during said strokes, said outlet block including a ramped surface and said inlet block including a pair of ramped surfaces for engagement with said rollers to pivot 'sa'id inlet block out of the normal position thereof during s'aid rea'rward stroke and consecutively to .pivot said outlet and inlet blocks out of said "normal positions during said forward stroke.

References Cited in the file-of'this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

